“At each location, about two million sterile flies will be released from a customised aircraft each week until April 2020,” he said.

“On the ground, scientists will monitor the movement of the flies, their longevity in the field, the impact on crops and the wild population.”

Hort Innovation SITPlus director Dan Ryan said QFF was responsible for an estimated $300 million in lost produce and markets nationally, and the SITPlus initiative was working to turn that around.

“The sterile Q-fly production facility in Port Augusta is in full swing, producing 20 million flies per week,” he said.

“Satellite rear-out centres, which receive sterile flies from pupae stage and grow them for release, are also now open in Yanco, NSW and Tatura, Victoria. The program is constantly being refined to ensure the best possible outcomes.”

Mr Ryan said some of the nation’s leading scientists had invested countless hours ensuring the sterile fruit flies would be fit and attractive to native flies, encouraging them to ‘mate’ without producing offspring.

“Female fruit flies are very astute when it comes to selecting a mate,” he said.

“As a result, our scientists have spent hours developing breeding programs that ensure our sterile Q-flies are the most attractive, best smelling, best ‘singing’ and fittest flies possible.”